Narcotic popular with drug abusers reported taken from Celina business

By MARGIE WUEBKER
The Daily Standard

A man brandishing a silver-colored handgun made off with an undisclosed
amount of OxyContin Thursday morning at CVS Pharmacy, 1020 N. Main Ave. The Celina Police
Department is investigating the possibility the armed robbery may be linked with a rash of
similar crimes in western Ohio and eastern Indiana.
The perpetrator, described as a white male, approached the pharmacy
department at the rear of the store and pointed a handgun at two unidentified employees.
He demanded only OxyContin, a narcotic that has grown in popularity with drug abusers in
recent years.
Slusser declined to estimate the amount of OxyContin taken, but
described the dollar value as "several thousands."
Police quickly responded to the scene and prevented new customers from
entering the store while conducting interviews and processing the crime scene.
A sign at the drive-through window noted the pharmacy was temporarily
closed and the management apologized for any inconvenience.
"Customers in the store at the time were permitted to complete
their transactions and leave," Slusser said. "We just didn't let any new
customers in for about an hour."
Police offered no information regarding the number of employees and
customers in the store at the time of the robbery. However, Slusser theorized some
customers were not immediately aware of what was unfolding.
"The man did not attract a lot of attention until he pulled the
gun," the chief added. "He was subtle and subdued until the point at which he
pulled the gun and pointed it at two employees behind the pharmacy counter."
Jamie Doyle, a CVS district supervisor apparently called to Celina
following the robbery, referred all inquiries to Mike DeAngelis, a corporate spokesman. He
acknowledged the store closed temporarily as police officers investigated the armed
robbery but reopened by early afternoon.
He declined further comment, explaining he did not wish to
jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation.
Police do not believe the man was in the store very long before
approaching the pharmacy, but he definitely left in a hurry. Slusser estimates the man
exited the store within a minute after receiving a white bag containing the requested
drug. No one apparently saw him get into a car and leave the area.
Slusser told The Daily Standard this morning that local police are
working with other law enforcement agencies in communities where similar crimes have
occurred in recent months. OxyContin also was the drug of choice in armed robberies
occurring in Greenville, Lima and Decatur, Ind.
Anyone who spotted suspicious activity or a suspicious person near the
drug store Thursday morning is asked to call the police department at (419) 586-2345.
The last armed robbery in Celina occurred at a Shell station
approximately three years ago.